


The Revenge of a Dead

by scribbled_handwrite



Category: Ripper Street
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Alternative Perspective, F/M, Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-02-11 18:42:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12941367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribbled_handwrite/pseuds/scribbled_handwrite
Summary: A neck broke at this day in Newgate Prison, but it wasn't Susan's. Inspector Edmund Reid would have known this if he wouldn't have turned away not willing to witness the cruel play a second time, and maybe then, the story would have taken another direction.The beginning of a sequel after an alternative ending.Short chapters.2018-03-14: Chapters 4-82017-12-07: Chapters 1-3





	1. Chapter 1

Montana, September 1899

Susan sat at the table in the rich dining room and waited. She was dressed in the way he preferred, wore her hair in the way he preferred and had arranged the breakfast as he preferred. Everything was like he preferred it, like every morning, every day, since nearly a year.

Promptly when the clock struck eight, he entered the room.

“Good morning, my dear”, he said in good mood with a diabolic smile on his lips. Dutifully, Susan wished the same, stood up, fetched the coffee pot and walked to the other side of the table.

He sat down and laid the paperwork in his hands next to his plate.

Susan poured some coffee in his cup.

“What a nice table”, he said, “and what a delicious smell of coffee, bacon, eggs and fresh bread.” He clapped in his hands. “I am hungry.”

Without a word, Susan put down the coffee pot, took his plate, turned around and went to the sideboard. There, she opened the silver holding furnace, took out some scrambled eggs and bacon which she laid it on the plate, decorated all afterwards with fresh parsley and a tomato slice - exactly as he preferred.

“Thank you, dear”, he said when she served it to him. Susan tried a smile – as be preferred – because she knew that he was observing her.

In the moment after she had put down the plate, her glance fell on a photograph that laid on the top of the paperwork. Susan gulped.

“Oh, you can take it”, he said, “and you can keep it. I’ve more of these.”

Susan took the photograph. She tenderly stroked over the two lovely faces and she felt tears filling her eyes. She wanted to return to her place, but he held her back. “Won’t you read the article?” He reached her the newspaper before he took the first bite of his breakfast.

Susan’s throat tied up when she saw the title picture and the headline. She shivered.

He gazed her amused whilst she was reading and with every indication of pain and suffering in her perfectly pretended façade of insensitivity, his food tastes better and better.

Finally, tears dropped on the paper. “No”, she whispered.

  
“This husband of yours is a perfect hero, isn't he?”


	2. Chapter 2

Susan glance on her opposite was furious and desperate.

“We had a deal, Theodore”, she said.

“We still have.” Swift grinned. “You shouldn't believe everything that’s written in the paper.”

Susan was confused. “This is not true.”

“Not all of it.  The end is a bit, let’s say, over-dramatised”, confessed her father, “but people love dramas. Their tears are my cash.”

“Then, he’s alive?”

Swift took a sip of coffee. “Yes”, he admitted. “He’s still weak, but clearly on the way to recovery.”

Susan breathed a sigh of relief.

“How could I have let him die? He's needed.”

Susan looked down to the paper in front of her. “All this only because to increase the sales figures of your lousy newspaper and to torture me.”

Swift, who had finished his breakfast, cleaned his mouth with a serviette before he got up. He took the paperwork, walked to the cupboard and took something out.  Then, he turned to his daughter and said: “I can see you suffering anytime I want, anytime when I allow you the look out of the window.” He came closer to her.  “And you know I never miss the opportunity to make a dollar.” He put down the stuff in his hands on the table in front of Susan. “But my true intention promises more fun. Take the pen and write what I dictate.”

Susan did what he demanded.

After they have finished, she said:  “It will never work. Even if this is the official letter paper and the seal of a notary, it’s still my handwriting and he knows my handwriting.”

Swift laughed. “You're dead, remember. I’m sure his memory of you is your executed body dangling on the rope as sign of victory of law and order, and surely not your handwriting. “

“He will not believe it.”

Swift grasped in his vest pocket, took out a ring and laid it on the letter. Susan recognised the jewellery immediately. “Where did you get it?”

Her father shrugged his shoulders. “A man in delirium does not pay much attention to his valuables”, he said. “Now, we will pack together this symbol of prove, our lovely letter, the issue of the newspaper and a photograph of happy father with son to a nice little gift and post it to Mr. Edmund Reid.”


	3. Chapter 3

The parcel wasn’t send immediately to London. Swift waited a few weeks to make the story plausible and then, when it was time, he decided to escort the mail. It would be very gratifying for him to see from a close distance Reid’s suffering.

Not only had the first step of his revenge made him travel back to the old world. It was time to take over the power over the underground of London, as he had planned it once several years ago. It should be his operating centre for his upcoming spreading empire of darkness.

Of course, it was an ambitious plan, but: One who doesn't try will never fly!

Theodore Patrick Swift  - The richest and most powerful man in the world. He must smile, when he thought of it.

In those days, he failed. Now, the cards were reshuffled and his hand looked very good:

First, he was a dead what brought lots of practical advantages.

Second, thank of Reid, some of his greatest rivals were gone and it seems that the East End was cleaned from its greatest evils; the perfect basis for an unexpected attack.

Third, the dynamic trio of justice were broke, but alive. Impossible, one would say, but not for a dead man who pulled the strings in the background. Without knowing it, his former enemies became his caged pets in this game, now, only living for Swifts amusement.

Forth, Caitlin.  She was his blood.  No question that she needed to be rescued. Not, because of fatherly love. She was his guarantee for the continued existence of Swift dynasty that, sadly, he couldn't assure it anymore.

Of course, she had betrayed him and was directly involved in the attempt to kill him, but it was pretty easy to forgive her.

This action of cruelty had proved her as a true Swift and made him proud of her. Furthermore, his imprisonment opened his eyes for another aspect of his daughter that he had never seen before: Her talents for business and money.  Swift chided himself that he had been blind for that and didn't use this gift for his purposes before. A mistake which he corrected immediately after his paid police men saved her from the gallows.

As expected, she refused to work in his business. Stupid morals and conscience, weaknesses she was suffering from since her birth, held her back.  But there were a much stronger weakness that finally made her his toy: Her husband and her son.

It was his idea to move in their close neighbourhood, as a daily reminder for her of their deal. 

An old century ended, the times changed and Swift seemed to be the man who dictated the direction of the upheaval.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I go on with this story line?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened until now: Susan’s father, Theodore Patrick Swift, wasn’t dead.   
> Since his nearly deadly encounter with Reid, he hid in the underground and used the time to prepare his comeback as king of evil and his revenge.   
> At the last moment, when nothing else helped, he had to switch on and rescue his daughter from the gallows. He brought her back to America, where both are now living in the immediate neighborhood of Susan's husband and son. However, this is not an act of fatherly love but pure malice and calculation. For one thing, he enjoys seeing Susan suffer, but he is more interested in her business talents. Under the condition that Jackson and Connor could live a carefree life, Susan agreed to do everything what her father would ask her to do.  
> Jackson's heroic rescue effort, which had almost cost him his life, now used Swift as a prelude to his revenge on Reid. To delight in his suffering but also to push his plans forward, Swift was now on his way to London.

What a busy day.

Today, Susan had sold 150 rifles and 200 small arms to an African rebel group which intended to coup against their current government which ordered 100 machine guns, 250 rifles and 300 small arms by Swift to defend their claims. Both parties payed with high quality diamonds, which Susan would get certified as "origin undoubted" by a corruptible expert of a recognised Dutch jewellery institute, before the stones were offered via a negotiator on the international diamond market. Furthermore, she had organised the delivery of 300 kilograms cocaine from Swift’s South American plantation to the major distribution spot in Europe to ensure that it would be a white Christmas this year. Then, she played a little bit stock exchanges, bought and resold.

When she put back the fountain pen and closed the business books, she had made nearly 100.000 dollars and prepared the next money flood.

Not bad for one day of work


	5. Chapter 5

The present situation was awful.

Of course, Susan didn’t want to die, but a life as a piece of shit was no option either.

This time, she had decided not to give up and to fight, although if it seemed hopeless. At the moment, was no other chance than to obey.

After the long day in the office, Susan was forced to take a diner, even if she wasn't hungry, and have a bath afterwards, before she was allowed to have an hour for herself which she used to write. The result, of course, was checked by Mrs. Finch, one of the most loyal devotees of her father and since her arrival here her personal governess.  All her doings were carefully monitored by this awful woman, who had her eyes everywhere, that Susan could truly say,  compare to the conditions now, her time in prison felt like heaven.

After the little spare time break, Mrs. Finch gave Susan a sleeping drug, brought her to bed and waited until her protégé was fallen asleep.

So, Susan’s first step of resistance was to break this last piece of the chain. It was hard because it was necessary to vomit out the drank sleep powder and the result was also not very satisfying. It became easier when Mrs. Finch started to use pills. With staying awake, Susan won precious hours to think about a way to break out without endanger the two people she loved.

All ideas ended up with the certainty that she must bring down her father by betraying him to the authorities of the state. As principal witness for the prosecution, she possibly had the chance to survive, certainly imprisoned, but alive after all. But this would mean, all the money would be lost and her husband and son were left penniless. That leads to the only consequence that she must put aside a part of the money for them on a legal way.

One day, Susan discovered by chance, that her abilities in calculation and understanding of the money flows were much better than her father’s. So, she started to collect funds by transferring all pennies, that resulted by rounding amounts according to the third decimal place, to Connors bank account. Wisely, Susan let created the bank account for her son after his birth with help of a Newgate guard who liked of her; and until now, a significant sum had been accumulated there.

For the other part of the plan, evidences were needed to prove Susan’s claims. For this, she thought it was clever, to copy all relevant business papers. This was much more difficult. The office was always locked and she couldn’t do it during the day because she either monitored by Swift himself or Mr. Miller, another truly minion of her father, his right hand and keeper of the second key for the office.

At the beginning, she tried to coquet and make eyes at Mr. Miller until she found out that she was barking the wrong tree. Miller was gay.

But finally, after all this time of dreadful patience, her father was out of the house. Before he left, Susan was able to steal his office key by replacing it with a similar one. Feeling the false friend in his pocket would calm the old bugger down while his absence and he wouldn't smell the rat.

Another advantage of the tomcat’s absence was that his faithful servants became imprudent and careless.

Susan’s only chance.


	6. Chapter 6

When Susan had finished her writing and laid down her pen she watched to the clock. Five minutes left until Mrs. Finch would appear with her sleep cocktail. She stood up and went to the window. Her heart grew heavy as she saw the lights of the neighbour's house shining warm and cosy in the darkness. She imagined, how Matthew over there read a bedtime story to Connor, kissed the forehead of the child and wished him a good night; how he would go back in the living room then; how he sat beside the fireplace, with a glass of whiskey, reading a book or maybe the newspaper part with the bets on the horses. She smiled, sighed and breathe deeply in. In this moment, the door opened.

Susan walked towards Mrs. Finch. Like a trained monkey, she took the pill, put it into her mouth and flushed it down with a sip of water.  Mrs Finch nodded satisfied. Then, Susan walked to the desk.

In this wink of an eye when the old bat turned the back to her, Susan spit out the pill which she had stored under her tongue.

“A new cheesy novel full of heartbreak,” said Mrs. Finch disgusted and took the papers with writing. Susan didn’t answer. She went to her bed as expected and laid down.

Again, Mr. Finch nodded satisfied and before she left the room, she mumbled: “Wonderful! Checking this rubbish will really make my evening. It’s hard to believe that there’s an audience for this kind of nonsense. Fuck it. I’ll never understand why the master had allowed this stupid occupation.”

After Mrs. Finch has disappeared, Susan laid silently in her bed and waited. She listened to the sound of her clock. Ticking. Then, the quarter hour beat. Again ticking. Then, the half hour beat. Ticking, until it came the quarter hour beat. Ticking, and finally the hour beat.

Susan got up, slipped into her bathrobe and peered out of her room. Nobody on the floor. As expected, Mrs. Finch was off to bed herself after she was sure that her inmate was sleeping deeply.

Susan left her room, went downstairs through the dark corridors of the house to the office and when she was there, she started immediately her night shift.


	7. Chapter 7

Intrigued, the old man observed the little insect. It was running excitedly and perturbed over his hand not able to find a way out. He smiled. “What an amazing creature you are”, murmured the man tenderly, “but people hate you … They see your ugly appearance, not the wonder of your construction … how elegant you coordinate your legs … how busy you are when you build your web … how clever it is to spread your fine sticky threads everywhere that your prey has no chance to escape … “ He used a finger of his second hand to tip softly on the spiders back. The animal’s movement stopped. He brought it closer to his mouth and whispered:  “But I know it!” Then, he carefully moved his hands to let the creature crawl back to its natural surroundings, its web between windowsill and the curtain rod in suite number 17 of the ‘Royal Imperial Hotel’ in London.


	8. Chapter 8

Swift looked outside the window. It was grey and raining, an unpleasant weather to travel, but he knew very well:  The own profit is worth the effort. Everyone has a price. All he needs to do was buying. Simple, isn’t it.

Finally, a carriage arrived and stopped. A woman got out. She obviously had problems to keep herself upright and needed support from the man at her side, one of Swift's staff, as a result.    

A few minutes later, it knocked on the door.

“Come in” said Swift.

The door opened and two people entered suite number 17. 

“Sir, here’s …”

Swift interrupted the man. “Please, take a seat” he said and pointed to the comfortable looking chairs. The man followed the command, manoeuvred the half mentally absent women to the table and managed it that she sat down. Then, he took a seat beside her to catch her in case she falls off.

Before he came closer, the American attentively eyed his female guest. A sad, skinny, unhealthy looking person with sunken cheeks which let her big bleary blue eyes, heavily framed with deep black shadows, swell from her skull.  The brown hair had the consistency of straw, was untidily bound and had started to turn grey. The bent body stuck in a shabby dress of undefined colour littered with dirty spots.  There was no sign of attraction left, but still somehow the will to survive.

“Mrs Drake” welcomed Swift the confused women whilst he sat down in opposite to her, took her hand and squeezed it gently.

Rose looked up. She saw the face of a friendly elderly man who was warmly smiling at her.

“No more” she said. “I am Rose Erskine. You can call me Rose … all gentlemen call me Rose …” She smiled that one could see damaged teeth.

“Rose that is a wonderful name! It sounds like love.” Swift looked deeply in her eyes. “You are the girl who brings the love, right?”

Rose nodded. “I’ll bring it to you, Sir.” She started to fiddle on the buttons of her dress. “You’ll see, Sir, I’ll bring love to you in any way you want.” The first button was open and Rose went on to unbutton the next one but Swift stopped her. 

The woman reacted confused. “… but that’s why I am here” she said and tried to move on. Swift did not let it happen. Instead he shook his head.

“You brought me here all the way and now you don’t want to fuck me? What do you want me to do? Should I fuck him?” She pointed to the other man at the table. He blushed and Swift grinned.

That made Rose even angrier. She rushed upward, staggered and fell back on the chair. Swift laughed.

“My dear, Rose, you’re not here to give me these kind of pleasures” he said amused.

“What else?”

“In due course. All I want now is you to be my guest that I can take care of your well-being.”

That sounded like a good offer. Indeed, the best she had gotten in the last months. But her instinct made Rose sceptical. She wasn’t sure if she could trust him. On the other hand, what the hell should happen? Sinking deeper than now was hardly possible. 

“All right” she agreed, “Mr … ?”

“Oh, call me Teddy” answered Swift fatherly and got up. He beckoned the man from the table and spoke to him quietly that Rose couldn't hear their words.

“I want you to make a presentable human out of this degenerated wreck” ordered Swift “Clean her, feed her and dress her. Bring her to a doctor, to a dentist and to a hairdresser. Keep her away from alcohol. Nothing is more disgusting than a drunk woman.“

The other one nodded.

Swift reached in his west pocket, took out a silver metal box, reached it to his interlocutor and said “Make sure that she becomes reliable consumer of our Colombian export success."

After he had finished this sentence, he turned back to Rose.

“My dear, Rose, I would love to go on chatting with you but my schedule is tight. I trustfully leave you in the hands of my assistant Mr Furbisher. He will bring you to your room that you can relax. You travel was long, I know. “

Furbisher reached Rose his hand to help her to get up. Then, he guided her to the door.

“Tell him your wishes and they will be fulfilled” promised Swift before the two people left his room.


End file.
